[stevebrot]

Samyang, like Samsung, wasn't making DSLR lenses 10 years ago.
It might be following the same photography road within a few years from now.

They weren't?

Samsung, perhaps, but there are reviews on this site for the Samyang 85/1.4 as early as 2009 and the 8/3.5 Fisheye as early as 2010. Truth be told, Samyang has been manufacturing SLR camera lenses for decades (est. 1972), with output usually sold as house brands.


Steve

[D1N0]

They do not support K-mount, they just want a piece of the action (that is turnover) at the expense of Ricoh/Pentax.

I don't see Pentax making a 85mm lens (yet ) or a 14mm one. Also just because I buy a K-mount camera, doesn't mean I am married to Ricoh, so they can decide what I put on it.

[stevebrot]

Focus lock ring further suggests that Irix = Samyang.

So Irix has shifted manufacturing to S. Korea?


Steve

[stihlmania]

Pentax cameras deserve Pentax glass - more Pentax options would be welcome.
Market and competition are tough, but it looks like Pentax is surfacing again.

To this day I still have only purchased Pentax, lenses, cameras, extension tubes, macro focusing rails, flash and cables, remote control devices, etc. Once I committed to Pentax, in 1988, its been Pentax only for me. Except for my Sunpak DX 8R ring flash’ which I use with my 1st DS TTL. No Pentax ring flash were for sale on flea bay or the other normal places when I needed a ring flash for product photos so the Sunpak was it. A really good flash in my opinion...Only one lens has been a dud, all others are still in use to this day as I now only purchase star lenses. To me with the K-3 II, star lenses excell in quality with every day shooting. I will not mention the dud lens [ a smc a 100 macro ] oops!]]. as the next one I purchased was perfect in my opinion. Everyone has to decide for themselves what it important in a camera system, to me any camera system cannot survive if people purchase aftermarket for almost everything except the camera....my opinion only, others may have a different opinion...

[BROO]

So Irix has shifted manufacturing to S. Korea?

Irix lenses have always been manufactured in South Korea Steve.

[normhead]

I don't see Pentax making a 85mm lens (yet ) or a 14mm one. Also just because I buy a K-mount camera, doesn't mean I am married to Ricoh, so they can decide what I put on it.

Oh please.

[stevebrot]

Irix lenses have always been manufactured in South Korea Steve.

Thanks...I thought they were Chinese-made.


Steve

[Zygonyx]

They weren't?

Samsung, perhaps, but there are reviews on this site for the Samyang 85/1.4 as early as 2009 and the 8/3.5 Fisheye as early as 2010. Truth be told, Samyang has been manufacturing SLR camera lenses for decades (est. 1972), with output usually sold as house brands.


Steve

Yes, but they weren't covering SLR standard labelled mounts with their own brand before 2009, starting a period where they "changed size" on the market.
If the industrial know-how wasn't new, the risks are now different in a shrinking photo market.
My point is : stopping R&D in one of your markets is no good news for the end-users that your productline was feeding, but it could also be even worse news for your global business.

[.a.t.]

Samyang is clearly phasing out it's K-mount support now.

That's unfortunate. But I'm so happy it lasted as long as it did.
Samyang made lenses have greatly enhanced my enjoyment of photography.
In particular, their 135mm f/2.0 is excellent.

[stevebrot]

Samyang, like Samsung, wasn't making DSLR lenses 10 years ago.
It might be following the same photography road within a few years from now.

Yes, but they weren't covering SLR standard labelled mounts with their own brand before 2009.

2009 (the whole year) being more than 10 years ago, I don't know what more there is to say except that the original word used was "making" not "covering". Beyond that, just about every thread on this site regarding "who made this Made in Korea" off-brand lens brings up Samyang as a most probable source. It has been that way since I started "The Off-Brand Club" in here in 2008. While only those made since about 2000 might have seen service on a dSLR, I think it is safe to say they have been making dSLR lenses for at least 19 years regardless of whether they were covering mounts under their own brands.

For lenses under their own brand(s), the beginning was 2008 for both the 85/1.4 and the 8/3.5 fisheye. LINK

Whether Samyang may be following Samsung in leaving the photography market is hard to say.


Steve

[Papa_Joe]

I know why I bought exactly these lenses. I guess you know that, too..?

But there's no contradiction. "A Pentax branded camera deserves a Pentax branded lens!" I'd buy it - if available...

First, sorry for quoting you, but I could not resist, those two post, so close to another showing the problem.


You brought it to the point: These are very capables lenses and Pentax does not have comparable primes in the lineup.
We could debate about the 14 mm, as there is the DA, but that is not a full format lens.


The DA 17 mm also shows the other drawback of relying on Pentax lenses only. If Pentax offers a lens and it is not what you need, there is not alternative, when third party manufacturers do not offer lenses for the K mount.
It is a decent lens. It is fast, it has very low distortion but its sharpness is a bit lacking, when wide open. So if you want a fast, sharp lens with 14 mm you have to look elsewere. The new D FA 70-200 2.8 is another example. Sure it is an excellent lens, but 2,0 kg to carry around on my pour K-70? I do not think the K-70 deserves to be mounted on this leviathan. It does match much better with the 70-200 Tamron.

[Mistral75]

Samyang, like Samsung, wasn't making DSLR lenses 10 years ago.
It might be following the same photography road within a few years from now.

@stevebrot answered you concerning Samyang. As for Samsung, they entered the SLR lens market some 40 years ago.

Founded in 1977, their subsidiary Samsung Precision licensed Minolta cameras and lenses in the 1980s to sell them in the Korean market. After breaking away from Minolta, Samsung designed and manufactured their own cameras, such as the compact camera with 4x zoom Kenox FX-4 (ECX1 for export) around 1994 and the Kenox GX-1 SLR (SR-4000 for export) in 1997.

The Samsung Kenox GX-1 had a specific lens mount and came with 4 lenses.

Samsung also bought Rollei in 1995 from a guy named Heinrich Manderman who founded Beroflex and acquired various companies in the photographic industry, including Jos. Schneider Optische Werke,, Exakta, Miranda, B+W, Pentacon and OrWo. Hence the links between Samsung and Schneider Kreuznach.

[RobA_Oz]

Samsung also bought Rollei in 1995 from a guy named Heinrich Manderman who founded Beroflex and acquired various companies in the photographic industry, including Jos. Schneider Optische Werke,, Exakta, Miranda, B+W, Pentacon and OrWo. Hence the links between Samsung and Schneider Kreuznach.

What a collection of great names, fallen into dubious company.

[MJKoski]

Yea, Irix is made in S-Korea and they have same representatives in some countries as Samyang.

[reh321]

I don’t include manual focusing lenses I my evaluation of a lens mount in any case.